While the invention has application to various fields where a quick-release coupling is desirable, it has particular application to a cymbal release device and will be discussed in this context.
In a conventional cymbal set-up a drummer will be surrounded by several cymbals of different sizes, each mounted on a stand, typically in the form of an upstanding rod. The cymbal is placed between two felts and clamped to the end of the stand. The conventional way of doing this is to tighten a wing nut onto a threaded end of the stand to achieve the desired degree of tightness. This process is fiddly and time-consuming since the wing nut has to be adjusted to the required degree of tightness, and is also prone to loss of components as it is easy to drop the wing nut.
An alternative solution is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,479,593. In this arrangement a spring-loaded toothed lever engages a thread on the cymbal stand. As this device depends solely on the force of the spring to hold it in position, and the only positive engagement is between the teeth of the lever and the thread on the stand, this device may have a tendency to work loose over time as the spring loses its strength.